Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror

"Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror"
Chuck episode
Chuck and Stanley in the Aisle of Terror
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 6
Directed by	John Scott
Written by	Craig DiGregorio
Original air date	October 25, 2010
Guest stars
Linda Hamilton as Mary Elizabeth Bartowski Morgan Fairchild as Dr. "Honey" Woodcomb Roland Kickinger as a Volkoff security guard Robert Englund as Dr. Stanley Wheelwright
Episode chronology
← Previous "Chuck Versus the Couch Lock" Next → "Chuck Versus the First Fight"
List of Chuck episodes

"Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired October 25, 2010. Team Bartowski battles sinister scientist Dr. Stanley Wheelwright (Robert Englund), who is plotting to release toxins that induce nightmares. Meanwhile, the true allegiances of Mary Bartowski (Linda Hamilton) come under scrutiny, and the Buy More gang celebrates Halloween.

Plot

Main plot

Dr. Stanley Wheelwright (Robert Englund) walks through a secured area at Volkoff Industries. When a guard (Roland Kickinger) stops him, Wheelwright claims he is just looking for the fitness center, but the guard grabs him and demands identification. Wheelwright feigns an asthma attack, and uses his "inhaler" to spray a toxin into the guard's face. Wheelwright reveals to a security camera that his nerve gas, atroxium, is fully functional and can send people into permanent nightmares. An observer, Mary Elizabeth Bartowski (Linda Hamilton), walks out and claims that she knows a buyer in Los Angeles.

Two weeks later, immediately after "Chuck Versus the Couch Lock," Mary calls her son Chuck and they arrange to meet for the first time in years at Griffith Park. As Chuck walks toward the playground, Mary sneaks up on his backup, Sarah Walker, and they hold each other at gunpoint. Chuck introduces them as his mother and girlfriend, and Mary reveals that she is deep undercover in the Volkoff organization. She claims that there is no evidence of this, because her CIA records were expunged when she went undercover in Project Isis. She informs them that she broke cover so the CIA could obtain Wheelwright and the atroxium, telling Chuck to explain the information to General Beckman by telling her he flashed on Wheelwright. They arrange for Chuck to pose as Volkoff's most trusted buyer, so Wheelwright can be taken into custody when he tries to sell the atroxium. Beckman approves the mission, and John Casey lets Morgan Grimes join the team after his help in "Chuck Versus the Couch Lock." Later, Chuck informs Sarah, Casey, and Morgan that he has found his mother.

Chuck, using his usual cover of "Charles Carmichael", meets Wheelwright at a restaurant. As Wheelwright starts to talk about price, Mary arrives. To keep her cover intact, Mary reveals Chuck as a CIA agent. Knowing that Chuck is wearing a ballistic vest, Mary shoots at his heart. Sarah approaches them, but Mary shoots at her, shoots at a security camera (disabling Morgan and Casey's feed), and she and Wheelwright escape with the atroxium.

Mary later returns at the Buy More and kidnaps Chuck at gunpoint. As he enters her car, he activates a tracking device on his phone. While she drives, she reveals that although she had to sabotage the mission and kidnap Chuck to maintain her cover, she will still give them Wheelwright, as he is too dangerous. She leads Chuck to Wheelwright's portable laboratory, where both he and the atroxium are hidden. Mary, knowing that Chuck activated the tracking device, flees, and Sarah and Casey arrive to find Chuck, an unconscious Wheelwright, and the atroxium.

With Wheelwright in custody at Castle, Chuck and Sarah starts dismantling the atroxium's container. Suddenly, a timer starts counting down from five minutes. Wheelwright reveals that the only way to disarm it is with his thumbprint. Although he initially refuses to give it, they hold him at gunpoint and point out that he too would be affected if the atroxium where released. He reluctantly gives his thumbprint, but it instead accelerates the countdown, and the toxin is released. Wheelwright reveals that, having been the human test subject for his own toxin, he has learned to suppress fear. Chuck locks Sarah safely in a holding cell and chases Wheelwright to the Buy More. Chuck then puts the store on lockdown, but Wheelwright drugs him with the concentrated dose from his inhaler.

As Chuck runs through the store, he is further terrorized by the various Halloween decorations. Chuck hallucinates that Mary kills Sarah when Wheelwright finds him and they stumble upon the "Aisle of Terror", which the scientist uses to torture Chuck into unlocking the store. However, Chuck gains control of the situation and displays various terror-inducing images, making the scientist again susceptible to fear. Wheelwright runs out the aisle and is clotheslined by Sarah. Chuck manages to suppress the fear until Wheelwright gives up the antitoxin by closing his eyes. Wheelwright is again taken into custody.

Meanwhile, Casey searches for information on Project Isis with Pierce, an expert on expunged missions. Casey informs Morgan that Mary was telling the truth, to keep Morgan from telling Chuck the truth: Project Isis was ended 20 years ago after Mary went rogue. As Mary goes to meet Chuck and Ellie, she is captured by several masked individuals. Chuck attempts to rescue her, and he unmasks one of the captors, revealing her to be Sarah. Sarah tells him that she is protecting his "blind spot" (Chuck's influenced judgement about his mother), and Mary is taken away. Chuck then reveals to Ellie the truth about Mary being a spy.

Bartowski Family

Mary finally returns to her son Chuck and explains to him that she is deep undercover in the Volkoff organization. She refuses to learn anything about him or Ellie, as she wants them protected if her cover is ever blown at Volkoff and she is tortured for information. Although she knows next to nothing about Chuck, she knows "everything" about his CIA career as Charles Carmichael. The only reason Mary has broken her cover and contacted Chuck is because Dr. Wheelwright is too dangerous to be left free, and she believes Chuck to be perfect for the job.

Meanwhile, Devon's mother, Dr. "Honey" Woodcomb (Morgan Fairchild), visits him and Ellie. Although they had previously booked Honey a hotel room, she cancels the room and stays at their apartment. She does many things that bother Ellie and Devon, such as fastidiously cleaning the apartment. Devon offers to take Honey to the hotel, but Ellie decides that she could use some motherly advice.

Chuck feels betrayed after Mary apparently sabotages the mission and shoots him in the chest, but she reveals this was only to maintain her cover. She leads him to Wheelwright, and jokes that it is compensation for missing his tenth birthday. As Mary prepares to leave to avoid capture, Chuck informs her that Ellie is pregnant.

Mary comes to visit Ellie while Ellie is shopping with Devon and Honey. After Honey buys the unborn baby a dictionary in lieu of a chicken dancing doll that Devon wanted to buy, Ellie admits that, although Honey is overwhelming, she is glad to have a mother figure. Mary hears this comment, and is apparently affected by it. She buys the toy and contacts Chuck to arrange for her and Ellie to meet one last time before she goes back undercover. As Ellie and Chuck wait for Mary at a restaurant, Casey discovers that Mary has been lying about her true allegiances the whole time. Casey and Sarah capture Mary, and Mary drops the doll. Chuck reveals to Ellie that Mary is not coming, and that she is a spy.

Buy More

The Buy More prepares for Halloween, but Morgan is unable to plan the decor due to a CIA mission. He delegates this task to Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel. They decorate the store with various generic Halloween decorations like pumpkins, witches, and scarecrows, which they resent.

However, the main attraction is the "Aisle of Terror". Jeff is inspired by a psychology experiment of world-renowned Professor Schofield at UCLA. Jeff was a "mentally disturbed" subject in this study of his subconscious, receiving a sandwich as compensation. The Aisle of Terror displays various images proven to inflict terror on even the most fearless individuals, including public showers, babies in snail costumes, old people, interspecies relations, black licorice, man feet, and otters.

Although Morgan and Chuck are initially disgusted by the Aisle, it later becomes vital in defeating Dr. Wheelwright.

Production

Continuity

• This is the first episode in which Chuck does not flash.

Cultural references

• Wheelwright and the development of a fear-inducing toxin references the Batman villain Scarecrow (Dr. Jonathan Crane) specifically scenes from Batman Begins. His frequent comments about nightmares further reference Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street series, a role previously made famous by Englund.
• Count Orlok (Max Schreck) is shown in Nosferatu in the Buy More.
• Halo Wars posters are clearly visible.
• HD DVDs are behind Chuck in the Buy More. However, they have been rendered obsolete by rival Blu-ray Discs.
• Morgan says "classic Ross and Rachel," which references the series Friends.

Music

• Hot Chip - One Life Stand
• Stars- Dead Hearts

Critical response

IGN gave this episode a score of 9 out of 10.^[1]

References

1. ^ Eric Goldman (2010-10-25). "Chuck: "Chuck Versus The Aisle of Terror" Review". IGN. http://tv.ign.com/articles/113/1130352p1.html. Retrieved 2010-10-27. 

External links

• "Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror" at TV.com